Paul Francis Tanner
Encyclopedia
Paul Francis Tanner was an American
clergyman of the Roman Catholic Church
. He served as Bishop of St. Augustine
from 1968 to 1979.
, Illinois
, to Frank J. and Laura Margaret (née McGowan) Tanner. He and his family later moved to Milwaukee, Wisconsin
, where he attended Marquette University
. He began his studies for the priesthood
at Kenrick Seminary
in St. Louis
, Missouri
, and continued at St. Francis Seminary in Milwaukee. He was ordained
for the Archdiocese of Milwaukee
on May 30, 1931. He earned a Bachelor of Sacred Theology
from the Catholic University of America
in 1933.
Returning to Milwaukee, Tanner served as a chaplain
and professor
of religion at St. Mary's Provincial Motherhouse and as a curate
at Immaculate Conception Church. From 1936 to 1941, he was the Archbishop's secretary for Catholic Action
and Catechetics
. He then joined the National Catholic Welfare Conference
, where he served as assistant director (1941-1942) and director (1942-1945) of the Youth Department. He was assistant general secretary of the NCWC from 1945 to 1958, and was raised to the rank of Papal Chamberlain
in 1948 and a Domestic Prelate
in 1954.
From 1958 to 1968, Tanner served as general secretary of the NCWC. In this position, he executed and coordinated the policies set by the body of the nation's Catholic bishops. On October 18, 1965, Tanner was appointed Titular Bishop
of Lamasba by Pope Paul VI
. He received his episcopal
consecration
on the following December 21 from Archbishop Egidio Vagnozzi
, with Archbishops William Edward Cousins and Patrick O'Boyle serving as co-consecrators
. He was the first priest honored with the episcopal rank while holding the general secretary office.
On February 15, 1968, Paul VI named Tanner as the seventh Bishop of St. Augustine
, Florida
. His installation took place at the Cathedral of St. Augustine
on March 27, 1968, and was attended by the likes of Archbishops Luigi Raimondi
and Coleman Carroll
, representatives of the Protestant
and Jewish communities, and Florida Governor Claude R. Kirk, Jr.
Following the unexpected death of Pope John Paul I
, Tanner reacted with "shock and surprise, even horror...It's a reminder that we are just one heartbeat away from eternity." He resigned as Bishop of St. Augustine on April 21, 1979.
Tanner later died at All Saints Nursing Home in Jacksonville
, aged 89. He is buried at St. Mary Parish Cemetery in Hales Corners
, Wisconsin.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
clergyman of the Roman Catholic Church
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
. He served as Bishop of St. Augustine
Roman Catholic Diocese of St. Augustine
The Roman Catholic Diocese of St. Augustine is a diocese of the Catholic Church's Latin Church in the U.S. state of Florida. Part of the Ecclesiastical Province of Miami, it covers much of North Florida, including the cities of St. Augustine, Jacksonville, and Gainesville. The bishop's seat is the...
from 1968 to 1979.
Biography
Paul Tanner was born in PeoriaPeoria, Illinois
Peoria is the largest city on the Illinois River and the county seat of Peoria County, Illinois, in the United States. It is named after the Peoria tribe. As of the 2010 census, the city was the seventh-most populated in Illinois, with a population of 115,007, and is the third-most populated...
, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
, to Frank J. and Laura Margaret (née McGowan) Tanner. He and his family later moved to Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
, where he attended Marquette University
Marquette University
Marquette University is a private, coeducational, Jesuit, Roman Catholic university located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Founded by the Society of Jesus in 1881, the school is one of 28 member institutions of the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities...
. He began his studies for the priesthood
Priesthood (Catholic Church)
The ministerial orders of the Catholic Church include the orders of bishops, deacons and presbyters, which in Latin is sacerdos. The ordained priesthood and common priesthood are different in function and essence....
at Kenrick Seminary
Kenrick-Glennon Seminary
Kenrick–Glennon Seminary is a private not-for-profit Roman Catholic Seminary located in Shrewsbury, Missouri in St. Louis County. The Seminary is named after Archbishop Peter Richard Kenrick and Cardinal John J. Glennon, former Archbishops of Saint Louis. The Seminary traces its origins to the...
in St. Louis
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
, Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
, and continued at St. Francis Seminary in Milwaukee. He was ordained
Holy Orders
The term Holy Orders is used by many Christian churches to refer to ordination or to those individuals ordained for a special role or ministry....
for the Archdiocese of Milwaukee
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Milwaukee
The Archdiocese of Milwaukee is a Roman Catholic archdiocese headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in the United States. It encompasses the City of Milwaukee, as well as the counties of Dodge, Fond du Lac, Kenosha, Milwaukee, Ozaukee, Racine, Sheboygan, Walworth, Washington and Waukesha, all...
on May 30, 1931. He earned a Bachelor of Sacred Theology
Bachelor of Sacred Theology
The Bachelor of Sacred Theology is a graduate-level academic degree in theology.The Bachelor of Sacred Theology is offered by a number of Pontifical Universities. It is sometimes offered as a graduate degree, for students who have already completed a B.A. or other first degree...
from the Catholic University of America
The Catholic University of America
The Catholic University of America is a private university located in Washington, D.C. in the United States. It is a pontifical university of the Catholic Church in the United States and the only institution of higher education founded by the U.S. Catholic bishops...
in 1933.
Returning to Milwaukee, Tanner served as a chaplain
Chaplain
Traditionally, a chaplain is a minister in a specialized setting such as a priest, pastor, rabbi, or imam or lay representative of a religion attached to a secular institution such as a hospital, prison, military unit, police department, university, or private chapel...
and professor
Professor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
of religion at St. Mary's Provincial Motherhouse and as a curate
Curate
A curate is a person who is invested with the care or cure of souls of a parish. In this sense "curate" correctly means a parish priest but in English-speaking countries a curate is an assistant to the parish priest...
at Immaculate Conception Church. From 1936 to 1941, he was the Archbishop's secretary for Catholic Action
Catholic Action
Catholic Action was the name of many groups of lay Catholics who were attempting to encourage a Catholic influence on society.They were especially active in the nineteenth century in historically Catholic countries that fell under anti-clerical regimes such as Spain, Italy, Bavaria, France, and...
and Catechetics
Catechism
A catechism , i.e. to indoctrinate) is a summary or exposition of doctrine, traditionally used in Christian religious teaching from New Testament times to the present...
. He then joined the National Catholic Welfare Conference
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops is the episcopal conference of the Catholic Church in the United States. Founded in 1966 as the joint National Conference of Catholic Bishops and United States Catholic Conference, it is composed of all active and retired members of the Catholic...
, where he served as assistant director (1941-1942) and director (1942-1945) of the Youth Department. He was assistant general secretary of the NCWC from 1945 to 1958, and was raised to the rank of Papal Chamberlain
Monsignor
Monsignor, pl. monsignori, is the form of address for those members of the clergy of the Catholic Church holding certain ecclesiastical honorific titles. Monsignor is the apocopic form of the Italian monsignore, from the French mon seigneur, meaning "my lord"...
in 1948 and a Domestic Prelate
Monsignor
Monsignor, pl. monsignori, is the form of address for those members of the clergy of the Catholic Church holding certain ecclesiastical honorific titles. Monsignor is the apocopic form of the Italian monsignore, from the French mon seigneur, meaning "my lord"...
in 1954.
From 1958 to 1968, Tanner served as general secretary of the NCWC. In this position, he executed and coordinated the policies set by the body of the nation's Catholic bishops. On October 18, 1965, Tanner was appointed Titular Bishop
Titular bishop
A titular bishop in various churches is a bishop who is not in charge of a diocese.By definition a bishop is an "overseer" of a community of the faithful, so when a priest is ordained a bishop the tradition of the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches is that he be ordained for a specific place...
of Lamasba by Pope Paul VI
Pope Paul VI
Paul VI , born Giovanni Battista Enrico Antonio Maria Montini , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church from 21 June 1963 until his death on 6 August 1978. Succeeding Pope John XXIII, who had convened the Second Vatican Council, he decided to continue it...
. He received his episcopal
Bishop (Catholic Church)
In the Catholic Church, a bishop is an ordained minister who holds the fullness of the sacrament of Holy Orders and is responsible for teaching the Catholic faith and ruling the Church....
consecration
Consecration
Consecration is the solemn dedication to a special purpose or service, usually religious. The word "consecration" literally means "to associate with the sacred". Persons, places, or things can be consecrated, and the term is used in various ways by different groups...
on the following December 21 from Archbishop Egidio Vagnozzi
Egidio Vagnozzi
Edigio Vagnozzi was an Italian Cardinal of the Catholic Church. He served as the second president of the Prefecture for the Economic Affairs of the Holy See from 1968 until his death, and was elevated to the cardinalate in 1967.-Biography:Egidio Vagnozzi was born in Rome to Francesco and Pasqua ...
, with Archbishops William Edward Cousins and Patrick O'Boyle serving as co-consecrators
Consecrator
Consecrator is a term used in the Roman Catholic Church to designate a bishop who ordains a priest to the episcopal state. The term is often used in Eastern Rite Churches and in Anglican communities. The term "Principal Consecrator" is used to designate the primary bishop who ordains a new bishop...
. He was the first priest honored with the episcopal rank while holding the general secretary office.
On February 15, 1968, Paul VI named Tanner as the seventh Bishop of St. Augustine
Roman Catholic Diocese of St. Augustine
The Roman Catholic Diocese of St. Augustine is a diocese of the Catholic Church's Latin Church in the U.S. state of Florida. Part of the Ecclesiastical Province of Miami, it covers much of North Florida, including the cities of St. Augustine, Jacksonville, and Gainesville. The bishop's seat is the...
, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
. His installation took place at the Cathedral of St. Augustine
Cathedral Basilica of St. Augustine
The Cathedral Basilica of St. Augustine is a historic cathedral in St. Augustine, Florida and the seat of the Catholic Bishop of St. Augustine. It is located at Cathedral Street between Charlotte and St. George Streets. Constructed over five years , it was designated a U.S...
on March 27, 1968, and was attended by the likes of Archbishops Luigi Raimondi
Luigi Raimondi
Luigi Raimondi was an Italian Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Prefect of the Sacred Congregation for the Causes of Saints from 1973 until his death, and was elevated to the cardinalate in 1973....
and Coleman Carroll
Coleman Carroll
Coleman Francis Carroll was an American clergyman of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Archbishop of Miami from 1958 until his death in 1977.-Biography:...
, representatives of the Protestant
Protestantism
Protestantism is one of the three major groupings within Christianity. It is a movement that began in Germany in the early 16th century as a reaction against medieval Roman Catholic doctrines and practices, especially in regards to salvation, justification, and ecclesiology.The doctrines of the...
and Jewish communities, and Florida Governor Claude R. Kirk, Jr.
Claude R. Kirk, Jr.
Claude Roy Kirk, Jr. was the 36th Governor of the U.S. state of Florida . He was the first Republican Governor of Florida since Reconstruction.-Early life:...
Following the unexpected death of Pope John Paul I
Pope John Paul I
John Paul I , born Albino Luciani, , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and as Sovereign of Vatican City from 26 August 1978 until his death 33 days later. His reign is among the shortest in papal history, resulting in the most recent Year of Three Popes...
, Tanner reacted with "shock and surprise, even horror...It's a reminder that we are just one heartbeat away from eternity." He resigned as Bishop of St. Augustine on April 21, 1979.
Tanner later died at All Saints Nursing Home in Jacksonville
Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Florida in terms of both population and land area, and the largest city by area in the contiguous United States. It is the county seat of Duval County, with which the city government consolidated in 1968...
, aged 89. He is buried at St. Mary Parish Cemetery in Hales Corners
Hales Corners, Wisconsin
Hales Corners is a village in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 7,765 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Hales Corners is located in southwestern Milwaukee County...
, Wisconsin.